Buckle



[No Modgl.)

J. F. MOLLOY. BUCKLE.

No. 436,501 Patented Sept. 16, 1890.,

mum, wwwma'ran o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. MOLLO Y, OF WEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT,

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,501, dated September 16, 1890).

Application filed May 8, 1890. Serial No- 351,084. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES F. MOLLOY, of West Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin buckles of the tubular type in which a graspleVer provided with a grasping-jaw and with a suitable hook or other attaching device is secured in the same, of a housing in position to have its grasping-jaw swung into and out of engagement with a Web or strip passing through the housing.

The object is to provide a simple and strong arrangement of the parts, so that the grasping-jaw of the lever may be prevented from falling into the opening for the reception of the web to hinder the ready insertion or slidingof the web through the opening.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents a buckle in front elevation with parts assembled as in use. Fig. 2 is a section on line as a: of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the different parts separated. Fig. 5 is a plan view in detail of the front of the tubular or housing portion. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the rear portion of the tubular or housing portion; and Fig. 7 is a plan View of the front portion of the housing, showing a modification.

The buckle in the form in which I have herein presented it consists of three separate pieces-namely, the front portion of the housing, the rear portion of the housing, and the tongue or 1ever-the several parts being formed and assembled as follows:

A represents the front portion of the housing, and consists of an oblong plate provided near one of its side edges with an elongated slot at for the reception of the grasping-jaw of the tongue, as will hereinafter appear. The slot a may be wholly inclosed by the central metal, or the portion of the plate located centrally alongside of the slot may be removed, as shown in Fig. 7. Near its corners and upon opposite sides of the plate A short projecting cars a are formed for the purpose of fastening the parts together.

The back portion of the housing consists of a plate B, preferably corresponding in width to the body of the plate A,and having its opposite ends turned over toward each other in U form, as shown at b, leaving sufficient distance between the ends of the turned-over portion and the body portion for the reception of a suitable web or strap. The opposite edges of the turned-over ends 19 are provided with shallow recesses b for the re ception of the ears a of the front plate hereinbefore referred to. The front plate A and the back plate 13 are united to each other by placing the front plate A with its ends resting upon the turned-over ends I) of the back plate and then bending the cars a over and under the edges of the ends I) in the recesses b.

The tongue or lever consists of a body portion C, terminating at one end, in the form here shown, in a hook c, and at its opposite end having a grasping-jaw 0', turned at substantially a right angle to the body portion C. The grasping-jaw c is provided, as is usual, with teeth 0 for engaging the web or strap. The opposite ends of the grasping-jaw c are provided at the points where they leave the body portion C with open slots or recesses 0 The tongue or lever is secured to the housing or tubular portion of the buckle by pass ing the grasping-j aw 0 through the slot at, and is locked therein by means of the ends I) of the back-plate C as follows: The length of the grasping-j aw c is greater than the length of the slot on by about the depth of one of the recesses or slots 0 so that by dropping one end of the jaw into the slot at and then sliding the jaw endwise, so as to bring the bottom of the recess 0 in one end in engagement with one end of the slot at, the opposite end of the jaw may then be dropped through the slot a into position. This, however, would still admit of the accidental displacement of the tongue and also of an endwise play equal to the depth of one of the recesses 0 vent this play and secure the tongue against accidental displacement, Imake the distance between the turned-over ends I) of the part C equal to the distance between the bottoms of the two recesses 0 and during the assembling of the parts slide the edges of said ends b within said recesses 0 To pre- I The parts are conveniently assembled in the following order andmanner: First insert the grasping-jaw of the tongue or lever through the slot a in the plate A and locate it about central therein, then slide the part B of the housing into its position relative to the part A, passing the opposite edges of the turnedover ends 6 between the side walls of the recesses c and the front plate, and finally turn 10 over the ears a into engagement with the under sides of the turned-over ends I), thereby locking the several parts together. It will be observed that the metal at the point where the tongue or lever hinges to thetubular portion will consist of two thicknesses-namely, the turned-over ends I) and the front plate while the side walls of the recesses 0 which are outside of the front plate A, will form shoulders to prevent the dropping of the tongue or lever in the space between the front and rear plates through which the web is to be inserted. v

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the formation and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention-for instance, that the parts A and B might be other than of oblong shape and the ears a be formed on the rear plate instead of on the front plate. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the construction herein set forth; but

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The herein-described buckle, consisting of the tubular frame or housing formed in two parts, one of the parts being provided with a slot for the reception of thetongue, the tongue or lever provided with a grasping-jaw and having recesses formed on its opposite edges in proximity to the grasping-jaw, the said slot being shorter than the width of the tongue upon both sides of the recesses, but

as long as the width of the tongue measured from the bottom of one of the recesses to the end of the grasping-jaw farthest therefrom, the other part of the frame being provided with turned-over ends separated by a distance substantially equal to the length of the saidtongue-receiving slot, the said turned-over ends having an engagement with the tongue within the said recesses to lock the tongue in. position, and means for locking the parts of the frame together, substantially as set forth. 2. The herein-described buckle, consisting of the tubular frame or housing formed in two parts, one of the parts being provided with a slot for the reception of the tongue and with securing-ears projecting from its corners, the other part being provided with turned-over ends having recesses formed in their opposite edges for the reception of the said securing-ears, the tongue or lever provided with a grasping-jaw and having recesses formed on its opposite edges in proximity to the grasping-jaw, the distance between the bottoms of the two recesses being substantially equal to the distance between the said turned-over ends of one of the parts, and the said slot for the reception of the tongue being shorter than the width of the tongue upon the side of the recess opposite the grasping-jaw, but as long as the distance from the bottom of one of the recesses to the end of the grasping-jaw farthest therefrom, the said turned-over ends, when the parts are assembled, having an engagement with the 7 5 walls of the said recesses on the oppositesides of the tongue to prevent displacement of the same, substantially as set forth.

JAMES F. MOLLOY. Witnesses:

ROBERT LYNN, WILLIAM T. SMITH. 

